Abuse and Neglect Claims Jump Among Illinois Human Services Residents

A report finds that incidents of alleged abuse and neglect of residents under the care of the Illinois Department of Human Services have increased by half since 2010 and the time it takes to completely investigate them has grown.

The audit released Thursday by Auditor General Frank Mautino reports that abuse and neglect complaints increased to 3,698 in the year that ended June 30 compared with 2,468 seven years earlier.

And it discovered the agency's inspector general was not completing investigations into the complaints within the 60 working days agency rules require. Cases were closed in a timely manner 50 percent of the time in the year ending in June. Eighty-five percent were closed on time in 2010.